BelEdit Book Reviews
The Last Woman on Earth is a fast-paced thriller and love/lust story set in a post-apocalyptic (PA) world.
Living in a survivor community outside York, England, Nicky is trying to rebuild a semblance of normal life after a virus has killed much of the population or transformed them into bloodthirsty monsters. Despite the apocalypse, she still harbours a dream of becoming a ‘real’ journalist. Meanwhile, she and her best friend, Simon, contribute articles to an intra-community newsletter.
Then Meredith Hind appears, along with her private army, and challenges Nicky to investigate the true source of the virus that has destroyed the world. Meredith, an arch villain despised and feared by all, is ruthless and will stop at nothing to further her own interests, so of course Nicky does not want to work with her. And, being an ethical person and above all straight, definitely straight, of course she doesn’t want to sleep with her, even if she is very attractive. Absolutely not. Not happening.
I’m a big fan of the PA genre and this is a very good example of it. The world-building is strong and credible; the ‘monsters’ are good – an original and interesting blend of zombie and vampire; the plot is exciting; the dialogue is realistic; the pacing is well balanced; and the characters have presence and complexity….
Also, the sex scenes are well written and not cringy. So many writers fall at this hurdle; Benjamin succeeds. It gets pretty steamy.
And it’s funny, without turning to farce or detracting from the tension. In particular, Meredith’s one-liner putdowns are very funny, notwithstanding her rather terrifying presence.
All in all, while this is very much genre fiction, it’s also a well-written novel that anyone can enjoy.
My thanks to the publisher, author and Netgalley for giving me an ARC. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.
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